A Sweet (and Sour) Deal

On an earnings call with analysts last week (1), the head of Arca Continental SAB (2) said that the Mexico-based Coca-Cola bottler could 'move to more fructose,'(3) which is cheaper than cane sugar.(4)

—Matt Phillips and Roberto A. Ferdman, Quartz, November 3, 2013

1. Four days before the earnings call, Mexico's Congress approved a tax on soft drinks aimed at fighting rampant obesity. 2. Led by CEO Francisco Garza, Arca Continental is Latin America's second-largest Coca-Cola bottler. 3. This apparent threat sent American fans of "MexiCoke"—sweetened with cane sugar instead of the high-fructose corn syrup used in the U.S.—into a state of outraged despair. 4. Turns out, the Coke sold in Mexico has long been sweetened with a mix of corn syrup and natural sugar. The MexiCoke that Americans know is only sold here—for a premium ($3 to $4, versus $1 to $1.25 for a regular can). Its future is secure.

[Illustration by Alvaro Dominguez]

A version of this article appeared in the March 2014 issue of Fast Company magazine.